The guy who filed an FTC complaint over the ending of Mass Effect 3 is now a happy camper.

You may not know who Spike Murphy is, but you almost certainly know what he did. He's the guy who filed an official complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over the ending of Mass Effect 3, which, as you may have heard, not everyone was entirely happy with. Murphy's complaint was incredibly polarizing; some saw it as a legitimate and even necessary stand against a bumbling, indifferent corporate monolith, while to others it was simply gamer entitlement run wild.

But with the June 26 release of the Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut, Murphy is now a happy man, telling Shacknews that he's a fan of the new endings. "Many plot holes were filled in, and a lot of the sequences seem so organic and natural to the story that it seems shocking they didn't include them in the first place," he said. "Most importantly, there's a real epilogue now, one which gives context and consequence not just to our final choice, but to all the choices we had made to get there. The ending feels complete, whereas before it seemed rushed, unfinished, and frankly like they didn't know what to do."

He still has "minor issues" with the new wrap-up but says that his faith in BioWare is renewed enough that he's now open to the idea of buying another Mass Effect game. "I feel that there is a much greater amount of trust and faith asked of gamers as opposed to other art mediums because of the large investment of time and energy necessary in playing through a game and thereby appreciating the art," he continued. "Because of that, a betrayal of that trust between artist [the designers] and their audience like we found with the original ending of ME3 is far greater than, say, having a bad ending on an otherwise good movie."

Ehhh, well, I invested about 60 Hours playing ME1-2, that's significantly longer than any movie so to find out the end of the next 30 would make the previous 60 irrelevant did put me off ME3 until the new ending came out. THEN I went and grabbed a copy.

The plot holes were glossed over but not fixed in any way. there's still the a/b/c ending with a tacked on d that reads as a 'screw you' to the people who had a problem with it originally. It's still a continuation of a narrative deviation that occurs at the end of the game and still abandons all the major underlying themes and of course it still fails in terms of narrative structure because it still introduces all these new elements out of nowhere.

I'm one of those that will not be buying anything Bioware in the future.

Don't care, I'll take bioware for their word that they no longer want to make respectable franchises by ruining the only ones they had and won't buy anything they ever make again. Maybe they should quit making video games since they obviously don't respect their franchises or their fanbase and make women's shoes or something. It's obvious they are no longer interested in games. Why mess with their original ending? its their game and they wanted to end it the way they wanted to and thats their right. Just don't blame me on despising and boycotting them forever after their recent history of giving their fans the middle finger. They have no franchises anymore, and its hilarious.

And urgent? Is there some kid I'm not aware of who is dying of cancer and whose last wish is to see the Indoctrination Theory made canon or something?

My best friend Charlie passed away on the 10th of June, she would have loved to have seen this ending, she would have loved the sense of closure that this gave that the original ending lacked. However she's now chilling with Hendrix and Da Vinci (two of her heros), though knowing Charlie she's probably bending their ears with the "Indoctrination Theory"

<rant>HOW THE FUCK CAN GANDOHAR BE A GOOD GUY?! HE SPENT THE ENTIRE LAST GAME SUMMONING AN DARK GOD WHOSE SOLE GOAL IS TO EXTERMINATE ALL LIFE AND SO DOING CHANGE HOW THE APOCALYPSE HAPPENS IN HIS FAVOR!</rant>

I like the Extended Cut too. Too bad many people at the Bioware forums still insist that the end they expected is what Bioware should have done and anything else makes ME3 the worst game of all time.I hope Bioware realize that the Extended Cut was the right thing to do and that some people, which are a loud minority, would never be pleased anyway.

I actually think it has moved the industry forward 5 to 10 years. Customers have had very little influence over companies in the past years. Publishers are getting bigger and bigger and the people got drowned out.

Now however we have fans banding together to get things done. Petitions now actually do influence a companies policy.

I don't hear anyone complaining about the OUTRAGE and PETITIONS after X-com became a third person shooter. Thanks to that outrage I will be playing an awesome top down, turn based strategy game this very October. But the emotions were the exact same. "HOW DARE THEY TURN X-COM INTO A SHOOTER!"

Yet somehow these people aren't entitled? These people are suddenly not whiny, angry, bitter, resentful or whatever? How come? Is it because they are angry about an not yet released game? Or is it because they aren't demanding change something you liked?

Neither do I hear people complain about Dark Souls being petitioned to the PC. We are now slowly entering an era where consumer content is something that is being valued. The only company I could think of before now that actually listened to fans and adapted things according to their desires was Valve.

I don't think I have to remind you why Valve thinks listening to feedback from fans is a good idea.

The simple fact here is. You like the endings. Therefore anyone having the AUDACITY to DEMAND these endings to be altered is wrong and entitled. It's just your opinion. In my opinion customer rage is actually getting things done that it couldn't before. Companies are finally listening. It's sad that they only listen to shouting. But at least we have their ear.

Now as for my personal opinion about the endings. Still mediocre, there just is no way they could have made a good ending whilst still leaving the series open for more sequels. They compromised their precious artistic integrity for profit by not giving a conclusive ending.

Yeh some people like the extended cut for its "emotional" value. When I saw what they had done on youtube I uninstalled Origin and Mass Effect 1 & 2. What a shame how the series deviated from an original idea of dark matter for some half-wit plot about synthetics vs organics. Still I hope people now realise that once EA gets involved the decline of the series is inevitable.

1337mokro:I actually think it has moved the industry forward 5 to 10 years. Customers have had very little influence over companies in the past years. Publishers are getting bigger and bigger and the people got drowned out.

Now however we have fans banding together to get things done. Petitions now actually do influence a companies policy.

I don't hear anyone complaining about the OUTRAGE and PETITIONS after X-com became a third person shooter. Thanks to that outrage I will be playing an awesome top down, turn based strategy game this very October. But the emotions were the exact same. "HOW DARE THEY TURN X-COM INTO A SHOOTER!"

Yet somehow these people aren't entitled? These people are suddenly not whiny, angry, bitter, resentful or whatever? How come? Is it because they are angry about an not yet released game? Or is it because they aren't demanding change something you liked?

Neither do I hear people complain about Dark Souls being petitioned to the PC. We are now slowly entering an era where consumer content is something that is being valued. The only company I could think of before now that actually listened to fans and adapted things according to their desires was Valve.

I don't think I have to remind you why Valve thinks listening to feedback from fans is a good idea.

The simple fact here is. You like the endings. Therefore anyone having the AUDACITY to DEMAND these endings to be altered is wrong and entitled. It's just your opinion. In my opinion customer rage is actually getting things done that it couldn't before. Companies are finally listening. It's sad that they only listen to shouting. But at least we have their ear.

Now as for my personal opinion about the endings. Still mediocre, there just is no way they could have made a good ending whilst still leaving the series open for more sequels. They compromised their precious artistic integrity for profit by not giving a conclusive ending.

1337mokro:I actually think it has moved the industry forward 5 to 10 years. Customers have had very little influence over companies in the past years. Publishers are getting bigger and bigger and the people got drowned out.

Now however we have fans banding together to get things done. Petitions now actually do influence a companies policy.

I don't hear anyone complaining about the OUTRAGE and PETITIONS after X-com became a third person shooter. Thanks to that outrage I will be playing an awesome top down, turn based strategy game this very October. But the emotions were the exact same. "HOW DARE THEY TURN X-COM INTO A SHOOTER!"

Yet somehow these people aren't entitled? These people are suddenly not whiny, angry, bitter, resentful or whatever? How come? Is it because they are angry about an not yet released game? Or is it because they aren't demanding change something you liked?

Neither do I hear people complain about Dark Souls being petitioned to the PC. We are now slowly entering an era where consumer content is something that is being valued. The only company I could think of before now that actually listened to fans and adapted things according to their desires was Valve.

I don't think I have to remind you why Valve thinks listening to feedback from fans is a good idea.

The simple fact here is. You like the endings. Therefore anyone having the AUDACITY to DEMAND these endings to be altered is wrong and entitled. It's just your opinion. In my opinion customer rage is actually getting things done that it couldn't before. Companies are finally listening. It's sad that they only listen to shouting. But at least we have their ear.

Now as for my personal opinion about the endings. Still mediocre, there just is no way they could have made a good ending whilst still leaving the series open for more sequels. They compromised their precious artistic integrity for profit by not giving a conclusive ending.

And urgent? Is there some kid I'm not aware of who is dying of cancer and whose last wish is to see the Indoctrination Theory made canon or something?

My best friend Charlie passed away on the 10th of June, she would have loved to have seen this ending, she would have loved the sense of closure that this gave that the original ending lacked. However she's now chilling with Hendrix and Da Vinci (two of her heros), though knowing Charlie she's probably bending their ears with the "Indoctrination Theory"

Is that true? The mental image is funny, but I don't want to be laughing if it's true.

1337mokro:I actually think it has moved the industry forward 5 to 10 years. Customers have had very little influence over companies in the past years. Publishers are getting bigger and bigger and the people got drowned out.

Now however we have fans banding together to get things done. Petitions now actually do influence a companies policy.

I don't hear anyone complaining about the OUTRAGE and PETITIONS after X-com became a third person shooter. Thanks to that outrage I will be playing an awesome top down, turn based strategy game this very October. But the emotions were the exact same. "HOW DARE THEY TURN X-COM INTO A SHOOTER!"

Yet somehow these people aren't entitled? These people are suddenly not whiny, angry, bitter, resentful or whatever? How come? Is it because they are angry about an not yet released game? Or is it because they aren't demanding change something you liked?

Neither do I hear people complain about Dark Souls being petitioned to the PC. We are now slowly entering an era where consumer content is something that is being valued. The only company I could think of before now that actually listened to fans and adapted things according to their desires was Valve.

I don't think I have to remind you why Valve thinks listening to feedback from fans is a good idea.

The simple fact here is. You like the endings. Therefore anyone having the AUDACITY to DEMAND these endings to be altered is wrong and entitled. It's just your opinion. In my opinion customer rage is actually getting things done that it couldn't before. Companies are finally listening. It's sad that they only listen to shouting. But at least we have their ear.

Now as for my personal opinion about the endings. Still mediocre, there just is no way they could have made a good ending whilst still leaving the series open for more sequels. They compromised their precious artistic integrity for profit by not giving a conclusive ending.

All it did was explicitly state what was otherwise perfectly clear to anyone with braincells worth anything.

Seriously I preferred the original endings because they let ME draw the conclusions instead of going the usual toddler route and explain absolutely everything for me (which is beginning to get on my nerves. I like to work stuff out myself. I don't want to have everything explicitly told).

My mind physically imploded from the sheer level of hypocrisy and complacency here. The "extended cut" didn't fix anything, it just made the issue all the more urgent!

How many of you are betting he got sent embarassing amounts of cash in the bank to praise this garbage? I mean come on!

Yeah! How dare he have a different opinion of the extended cut than you! The nerve of that man... O_o

And urgent? Is there some kid I'm not aware of who is dying of cancer and whose last wish is to see the Indoctrination Theory made canon or something?

We didn't like your ending. You have 2 months to get all your actors and writers back together, designers and artists, and redesign it all completely from nothing. Then it has to be free and pass certification.Sarcasm Mode DeactivatedI'm with you. As far as damage control is concerned, you couldn't ask for better. If you do, then you are being unrealistic.

I don't care about anyone's justifications. If you can sit there and honestly say that an ending to a game, an inconsequential piece of fiction that has no effect whatsoever in the real, important, world. An ending that barely even registers on the "Bad-Game-Endingometer" (ME3 ending is hardly good but come on, it's nowhere near the worst and only the worst warrants anything near this backlash) of gaming history winds you up to the point you're joining movements and roping in a charity for you're own publicity then I reserve the right to laugh in your face and point out how pathetic you are and generally dismiss you and your obvious case of the foaming-mouth crazy virus.

I also the reserve the right to ignore and dismiss the pseudo-intellectual babel that will inevitably be levelled at me in defence of your particular brand of arse gravy that leads you to boycott an entire company based on a few minutes of aforementioned irrelevance. I guess "I reserve things" is the general crux of this lengthy hashing together of brain dribbling I'm trying to pass off as communication.

And yes the "You" doesn't specifically mean "You" reading this right now and frothing at the mouth because someone dares question the all knowing, infallible knowledge of "Whateverthefuckyournameis" I'm just lumping you all together into a neat little group so I can easily and efficiently fulfil my quota of shouting at things that confuse me shake stick lawn etc. But I don't specifically mean you, I'm just laughing at those other losers. No you're clearly level headed and rational and get along with overs despite your differing opinions, I'm on your side, lets laugh at those other fools behind their backs and grab a latte.

1337mokro:I actually think it has moved the industry forward 5 to 10 years. Customers have had very little influence over companies in the past years. Publishers are getting bigger and bigger and the people got drowned out.

Now however we have fans banding together to get things done. Petitions now actually do influence a companies policy.

I don't hear anyone complaining about the OUTRAGE and PETITIONS after X-com became a third person shooter. Thanks to that outrage I will be playing an awesome top down, turn based strategy game this very October. But the emotions were the exact same. "HOW DARE THEY TURN X-COM INTO A SHOOTER!"

Yet somehow these people aren't entitled? These people are suddenly not whiny, angry, bitter, resentful or whatever? How come? Is it because they are angry about an not yet released game? Or is it because they aren't demanding change something you liked?

Neither do I hear people complain about Dark Souls being petitioned to the PC. We are now slowly entering an era where consumer content is something that is being valued. The only company I could think of before now that actually listened to fans and adapted things according to their desires was Valve.

I don't think I have to remind you why Valve thinks listening to feedback from fans is a good idea.

The simple fact here is. You like the endings. Therefore anyone having the AUDACITY to DEMAND these endings to be altered is wrong and entitled. It's just your opinion. In my opinion customer rage is actually getting things done that it couldn't before. Companies are finally listening. It's sad that they only listen to shouting. But at least we have their ear.

Now as for my personal opinion about the endings. Still mediocre, there just is no way they could have made a good ending whilst still leaving the series open for more sequels. They compromised their precious artistic integrity for profit by not giving a conclusive ending.

Anyways, the big difference here is the fact that this guy tried to SUE. I'm all for petitions and the like, but suing is reprehensible.

Far as I know the suing was just a FTC complaint. A complaint about how the game used false advertising of "choices that matter" and "16 different endings" to lure people in.

As I see it that is the BEST thing ever to have happened. A complaint about false advertising that was taken SERIOUS by the FTC director? Scaring a publisher into carefully thinking about the blurb on the box rather than just throwing out random features.

I honestly believe the original ME3 had 16 endings before the editing scissors came back in. Even the Extended cut has 9 endings at the most. So the problem is still there. They actually used false advertising.

This wasn't like the "Best game ever" advertisement that is allowed because it is opinion based. This was a complaint/lawsuit over literal false advertisement. The game says 16 endings. I count at best 9. 6 before the EC.

That is like buying a 42 inch TV and opening the box up only to find out it is a 36 inch TV.

And urgent? Is there some kid I'm not aware of who is dying of cancer and whose last wish is to see the Indoctrination Theory made canon or something?

My best friend Charlie passed away on the 10th of June, she would have loved to have seen this ending, she would have loved the sense of closure that this gave that the original ending lacked. However she's now chilling with Hendrix and Da Vinci (two of her heros), though knowing Charlie she's probably bending their ears with the "Indoctrination Theory"

Is that true? The mental image is funny, but I don't want to be laughing if it's true.

It's true, but Charlie would have approved of laughter, we all had to wear hawaiian shirts for her funeral!